Device for entraining materials in a flow of liquid



June 25, 1963 A. J. ROSS! 3,095,243

DEVICE FOR ENTRAINING MATERIALS IN A FLQW 0F LIQUID Filed Feb. 23, 1961 IN VEN TOR. ANGELO ossm/ Ross! ATTO RN EYS United States Patent 3,095,243 DEVICE FOR ENTRAINING MATERIALS IN A FLOW 0F LIQUID Angelo Joseph Rossi, Port Elizabeth, Republic of South Africa, assignor to G. B. Rossi & Figli (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited Filed Feb. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 0,987 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa Feb. 25, 1960 4 Claims. (Cl. 302-14) This invent-ion relates to a device adapted to receive liquid transportable materials for entrainment in a flow of liquid.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for receiving liquid transportable materials for entrainment and conveyance in a flow of liquid Wherever desired.

According to the invention, a device for entraining materials in a transporting flow of liquid includes a frame, a hopper supported by the frame and having an upper charging opening and a lower discharge opening, a vibratable table having a delivery end over the hopper, a non-choking centrifgual pump having a suction and a delivery and having its suction connected to the lower discharge opening of the hopper, a liquid delivery pipe having an inlet open-ing inside the hopper opposite the pump suction and directed to deliver a flow of liquid into the pump suction, driving means for driving the pump and the vibratable table, and conduit connecting means for connecting the liquid delivery pipe to a supply of entrainin-g liquid under pressure.

The invention may include one or more of the following features.

The pump may be a centrifugal pump, and the pump suction and the liquid-delivery pipe in the hopper may be coaxial and may be arranged transversely to the hopper axis, the outlet opening of the pipe being spaced away from the pump suction. If desired a second liquid delivery pipe may be provided in the hopper and having its delivery opening directed downwardly into the hopper, the second liquid-delivery pipe having means for connecting it to a supply of entrainin-g liquid under pressure.

The vibratable table may be a screen mounted on upstanding leaf springs supported by the frame supporting the hopper and pump. The screen may be vibrated by a reciprocable arm driven by a motor through an eccentric, the motor being mounted on the supporting frame. If desired a flotation overflow channel may be provided in the hopper along its upper inner edge, and then deflector plates fast with the hopper are provided above them, if necessary to ensure that material delivered by the table does not fall into the overflow channel. Further, where the device is mounted in a supporting frame, the frame may have wheels, an electric motor with starter if necessary, for driving the pump and table, conducting means for receiving electric power preferably through a flexible cable receivable on a spool provided, a flexible delivery pipe for connection to the delivery outlet of the pump, and connections for connecting the first and second liquid delivery pipes to flexible pipes. The wheels may be adapted to run on rails if desired.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the claims and from the following description of a specific embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of the device;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows an end elevation corresponding to the other two figures.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 refers to a hopper supported by stanchions 12, on a frame 14 mounted on wheels 16. Over the hopper there is provided a screen 18 mounted on upstanding leaf springs 21' fast with stanchions '12. The screen is vibratable through an arm 22 driven to reciprocate through an eccentric 24 by motor 26. The lower end of the hopper is connected via outlet pipe 28 to the suction 2 of non-choking pump 30, which is driven from pump motor 32 through V belt pulley drive 33 the motor having starter 34. The delivery 36 of the pump 30 is connected to a flexible delivery pipe not shown via connection 38.

A liquid delivery pipe 40 is connected through a stop valve 42 to a supply of entraining liquor under pressure, and has its delivery end inside the bottom of the hopper and is directed to deliver into pipe 28 connected to the pump suction 29. A second liquid delivery pipe 44 is provided connected to a supply of entraining liquid under pressure through stop valve 46, the delivery end 47 of second liquid delivery pipe 44 being directed downwardly into the hopper. Inside the hopper there is provided an overflow channel 48 having an outlet 50. The first and second liquid delivery pipes 40 and 44 are connected to a supply of entraining liquor under pressure by means of a flexible pipe 51 connected to connection 52. At one end of the screen there is provided a guard plate 54 to ensure that material in charging is not discharged over the edge of the screen. The device has a handle 56 for pushing. The device is connected by means of la flexible cable '57 on spool 53, to an electric power supply.

In operation the device is pushed along to a place where it can be loaded with the material to be transported the material being loaded for example by shovelling onto the vibrating screen 18, and passing through into the hopper It), Thereu-pon the first 40 and second 44 liquid delivery pipes ensure that the material is forced into the pipe 28 and into the pump suction 29, whence it is delivered via pump delivery 36 through flexible delivery pipe to wherever it is required. The transverse and downward arrangement of the first and second liquid delivery pipes 49 and 44 ensure that the bottom of the hopper does not become choked with material. Flotable contaminants of the material float into the channel 48 and out of outlet pipe 50. A deflector plate 53 is provided above the channel 48 to ensure that material falling through the screen 18 does not fall into the channel 43.

This embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted for receiving salt used in curing skins and hides and gathered after use from the floor of a hide curing shed for delivery to a salt reclamation and purification plant. The entraining liquid may be water or brine. The salt is shovelled onto the vibrating table, which then ensures that the salt is delivered into the hopper at a constant rate' The transverse liquid delivery pipe 40 delivers salt in the bottom of the hopper into the pump suction via pipe 28 and the downwardly directed liquid delivery pipe 44 ensures that salt moves down to the bottom of the hopper.

By way of explanation a non-choking pump is one having wide enough passages to pass the material which is to be entrained and delivered. An impeller may have open or shrouded vanes, for use in such a pump.

What I claim:

1. A device for entraining solid granular materials in a transporting flow of liquid, and which includes a frame, a hopper supported by the frame and having an upper charging opening and a lower discharge opening, a vibratable feed table supported by the frame and having a delivery end over the charging opening of the hopper, a non-choking centrifugal pump having a suction and a delivery and having its suction connected to the lower ice discharge opening of the hopper, a liquid delivery pipe having an inlet opening outside the hopper and an outlet opening inside the hopper opposite the pump suction and directed to deliver a flow of liquid into the pump suction, driving means for driving the pump and the vib-rata'bie feed table, and conduit connecting means for connecting the liquid delivery pipe to a supply of entraining liquid under pressure, whereby solid granular materials delivered in bulk onto the vibratable feed table, are fed at a substantially constant rate, into the hopper by the table. 2. A device for entraining solid granular materials in a transporting flow of liquid which includes a frame, upstanding leaf springs supported by the frame, a vibratable feed screen connected to the upstanding leaf springs, a hopper supported by the frame and having an upper charging opening below the feed screen, and having a lower discharge opening, a non-choking centrifugal pump having a suction and a delivery and having its suction connected to the lower discharge opening of the hopper, a liquid delivery pipe having an inlet opening outside the hopper and an outlet opening inside the hopper opposite the pump suction and idi-rected to delivery a flow of liquid into the pump suction, driving means for driving the pump and the vibratable screen, and conduit connecting means for connecting the liquid delivery pipe to a supply of entraining liquid under pressure, whereby lumpy friable granular material-s charged in bulk onto the feed screen, become broken up by the vibration of the screen, and are fed into the hopper, at a substantially constant rate.

3. A device for entraining solid granular materials in a transporting flow of liquid which includes a frame, upstanding i'leaf springs, supported -by the frame, a vibratable feed screen connected to the upstanding leaf springs, a hopper supported by the frame, and having an upper charging ope ning below the feed screen, and v having a lower discharge opening, a flotation overflow channel in the hopper along its upper inner edge and below the level of the vibratable table and having an outlet, deflector plates fast with the sides of the hopper and sloping downwardly over the channel and projecting beyond it, a non-choking centrifgual pump having a suction and a delivery and having its suction connected to the lower discharge opening of the hopper, a liquid delivery pipe having an inlet opening outside the hopper and an outlet opening inside the hopper opposite the pump suction and directed to deliver a flow of liquid into the pump suction, driving means for driving the pump and the vibratable screen, and conduit connecting means for connecting the liquid delivery pipe to a supply of entraining liquid under pressure; whereby lumpy friable granular materials charged in bulk onto the feed screen, become broken up by the vibration of the screen, and are fed into the hopper, at a substantially constant rate, and whereby material discharged from the vibrat-able feed screen into the hopper is prevented by the deflector plates from entering the overflow channel.

4. A device for entraining solid materials in a transporting flow of liquid, and which includes a frame, wheels supporting the frame, a hopper supported by the frame and having an upper charging opening and a lower discharge opening, a vibratable feed table supported by the frame and having a delivery end over the charging opening of the hopper, a non-choking centrifugal pump having a suction and a delivery and having its suction connected to the lower discharge opening of the hopper, a liquid delivery pipe having an inlet opening outside the hopper and an outlet opening inside the hopper opposite the pump suction and directed to deliver a flow of liquid into the pump suction, and conduit connecting means for conmeeting the liquid delivery'pipe via a flexible pipe to a supply of entraining liquid under pressure, connecting means for connecting a flexible pipe to the delivery of the pump, at least one electric motor mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the pump and the vibrating table for driving them, a take up spool rotatably mounted on the frame, a flexible power cable mounted on the spool and operatively connected to the electric motor at one end, and having means at the other end for connecting to an electric power source whereby electric power is transmissable from the power source to the electric motor, switch means for controlling the operation of the electric motor; whereby granular materials delivered in bulk on the vibratable feed table, are fed at a substantially constant rate into the hopper by the table, whereby the device may be wheeled along a work floor from place to place, to receive solid granular materials charged in bulk onto its feed table, whereby a transporting flow of liquid takes place into the hopper via an inlet flexible pipe, and whereby the solid granular materials are entrained in the transporting flow of liquid and delivered via a flexible delivery pipe at a place remote from the device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,390,27-1 Booth Sept. 13, 1921 1,576,617 Prince Mar. 16, 1926 2,005,800 OBoyle June 25, 1935 2,803,501 Kelley Aug. 20, 1957 2,920,635 Wilson Jan. 12, 1960 

1. A DEVICE FOR ENTRAINING SOLID GRANULAR MATERIALS IN A TRANSPORTING FLOW OF LIQUID, AND WHICH INCLUDES A FRAME, A HOPPER SUPPORTED BY THE FRAME AND HAVING AN UPPER CHARGING OPENING AND A LOWER DISCHARGE OPENING, A VIBRATABLE FEED TABLE SUPPORTED BY THE FRAME AND HAVING A DELIVERY END OVER THE CHARGING OPENING OF THE HOPPER, A NON-CHOKING CENTRIFUGAL PUMP HAVING A SUCTION AND A DELIVERY AND HAVING ITS SUCTION CONNECTED TO THE LOWER DISCHARGE OPENING OF THE HOPPER, A LIQUID DELIVERY PIPE HAVING AN INLET OPENING OUTSIDE THE HOPPER AND AN OUTLET OPENING INSIDE THE HOPPER OPPOSITE THE PUMP SUCTION AND DIRECTED TO DELIVER A FLOW OF LIQUID INTO THE PUMP SUCTION, DRIVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE PUMP AND THE VIBRATABLE FEED TABLE, AND CONDUIT CONNECTING MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE LIQUID DELIVERY PIPE TO A SUPPLY OF ENTRAINING LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE, WHEREBY SOLID GRANULAR MATERIALS DELIVERED IN BULK ONTO THE VIBRATABLE FEED TABLE, ARE FED AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT RATE INTO THE HOPPER BY THE TABLE. 